What Challenges Has Este Haim faced as an Executive Music Producer of  ‘A Small Light’ National Geographic Serie

Haim (which rhymes with time) is a pop-rock band from Los Angeles which first made waves with their critically acclaimed 2013 debut LP Days Are Gone. Their infectious blend of R&B, breezy 80s pop and sweet kiss-offs helped kickstart yacht rock's comeback. Haim have been on an epic musical adventure ever since they first performed together as children in Rockinhaim with their parents. Nowadays, Este is the eldest member of Haim and an established composer in her own right. What Challenges Has Este Haim Faced as an Executive Music Producer on ‘A Small Light’ National Geographic Series Este has long been one of the core members of Haim, an indie pop sister duo renowned for their infectious pop tunes. Este is known for her seductive bass lines and powerful vocals as well as making an impressionful statement as an Executive Music Producer. Haim has become an unexpected bright spot in chart music this year, thanks to their infectious folk-pop songs that bring excitement back into chart music. Recognized for longlisting for BBC's Sound Of poll and featuring on NME New Music Edition cover pages as well as topping MTV's 'Brand New for 2013' survey; Haim have won much acclaim across music circles as they gain recognition among listeners everywhere. Haim has found themselves overwhelmed by touring and recording, leading them into personal crises and loss. Therefore, as part of their healing process they needed some time off in order to assess where they wanted their careers to go next. Este Haim and Christopher Stracey collaborated on Netflix's critically acclaimed limited series Maid, which follows the journey of a mother who takes up house cleaning in order to support her young daughter, by producing an original score that was captivating and emotionally gripping. Together they brought an impressive combination of skills, experience, and aligned musical sensibilities that created something truly outstanding for this series. The team behind 'Maid,' including director Cooper Raiff and showrunner Molly Smith Metzler, were intent on finding someone as passionate about creating an original soundtrack as they were themselves. Chris Stracey of Australian electronic duo Bag Raiders proved ideal; Ellie Goulding has previously collaborated with him while Maroon 5 have also used him. Though they had experience working together as part of a band, writing film soundtracks was something entirely new for both sisters. Each was used to taking on individual tasks and working towards specific goals; creating music scores was something entirely unfamiliar for them both. What Are the Challenges? Este Haim had an Oscar-winning music background but had never composed music specifically for screen. So when Netflix approached her to write the original score for their acclaimed limited series Maid, Este was both pleased and nervous about taking on such a daunting challenge. As this was her inaugural attempt at writing an entire soundtrack for television, it marked an enormous change of direction for Grammy Award-nominated group HAIM. While their signature sound features airy harmonies and catchy pop tunes, writing for TV required stretching different musical muscles. Haim found help from Christopher Stracey of Los Angeles-based producer, musician, and composer Christopher Stracey to navigate this arduous path. They had worked as part of Bag Raiders previously; therefore he had all of the technical know-how she required in order to break into music production. Haim told Headliner it was an invaluable opportunity to expand her comfort zone and try something different, which proved successful as their partnership is still going strong today. Therefore, the twosome created an exceptional soundtrack for Maid that tells its tale of Alex (Granno) and Qualley as they navigate an intricate bureaucracy to obtain food and shelter for their family. Their story of hope and resilience will keep audiences riveted both onscreen and off. Haim was intrigued by this project and decided to meet with Molly Smith Metzler's creator Molly, she knew she wanted the experience to be rewarding but had no idea what was in store for her. She eventually achieved what she set out to achieve - her debut soundtrack! Once completed, she found she had an insatiable interest for this genre and wanted to keep working within it. As 2018 came to a close, Haim and Stracey continued working together on various projects. Their debut TV soundtrack received rave reviews; additionally they secured a major label recording contract and embarked on an eight-date tour supporting Fleetwood Mac's Stevie Nicks. What Has Este Haim Learned? Este Haim, perhaps the most visible member of HAIM on stage, has quietly made strides toward building her career as an Executive Music Producer - taking over a role that previously belonged primarily to her sisters. Chris Stracey (of Aussie dance-music duo Bag Raiders) and she have collaborated to compose scores for numerous feature films and television shows together; their first score being for Margaret Qualley-starring Netflix limited series Maid. Maid is a drama that follows Alex (played by Margaret Qualley), a single mother who turns to house cleaning after leaving an abusive relationship. Haim found the story particularly relatable as it reminded her of her own experiences living in poverty. While editing Maid, Haim would listen to its soundtrack and identify with certain scenes; according to Variety she was often drawn towards emotional moments in Maid. Since then, she's put her compositional talents through rigorous trials by scoring films and television shows such as "The White Lotus" to Cooper Raiff's Sundance hit "Cha Cha Real Smooth." Haim was challenged as a first-time movie composer to find her own voice and style for her soundtracks, despite having always been fairly intuitive about such matters. Writing soundtracks was different than expected. Haim found that trusting her instincts and the vision of her partner were key elements to successfully completing a soundtrack project. Additionally, taking time off between sessions allowed for more creativity without feeling pressure to produce something tangible.